SDG Innovation Award

2026

An initiative of

Senate of the Economy Germany

with the

UNITED NATIONS
Industrial Development Organization

The SDG Innovation Award creates partnerships

Together with the German chocolate manufacturer Ritter Sport, the Maschinenring Foundation is committed to the sustainable development of cocoa farming in Ivory Coast. Ivory Coast is now the seventh African country where the Maschinenring Foundation (MRF) is strengthening local agriculture and establishing future-proof structures. This kind of collaboration is precisely what is needed to address the challenges together in a concrete way and to create opportunities locally.

The UN and Senate of the Economy's SDG Innovation Award, which we and Ritter Sport received, demonstrated the potential of combining corporate responsibility with agricultural self-help. Based on this, we developed a partnership with Ritter Sport that strengthens cocoa farmers in the long term and establishes sustainable structures with local machinery rings.

Lena-Maria Russ, Managing Director of the Maschinenring Foundation

SDG Innovation Award 2025 ceremony with large international participation

For the fourth consecutive year, the Senate of the Economy and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) honored innovative pioneers. The award was presented to companies, initiatives, and cities and municipalities that are concretely implementing the global sustainability goals.

This year's award recognized initiatives from China, Sri Lanka, South Korea, India, Togo, Kenya, Indonesia, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany nominated. The applications from 35 countries The results from five continents clearly demonstrate the global commitment to the SDGs, the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, Agenda 2030.

The participation of Dr. Silke Launert, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, as a representative of the Federal Government, underscored the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals during the award ceremony. Dr. Gerd Müller, Director-General of UNIDO, personally presented the awards to the winners for their outstanding commitment.

We warmly congratulate all the winners and nominees.

The ten award winners in alphabetical order:

Companies

Brands Fashion
Help-O (Sri Lanka)
Ralf Bohle GmbH, Schwalbe
Suntec Togo (Togo)
Synhelion AG (Switzerland)
Volkswagen Group

Youth & Education

Capgemini
Dreyer Foundation

Cities, municipalities & districts

Cascais, Portugal
Zichuan District, Shandong China

Nominees: Lean Energy Solutions Limited, Polindo Utama, Sea Water, Victus Dyeings, City of Ghent, Incheon City, Seocho-gu (Seoul District Office), iCONDU GmbH, SkillUp eV, Stiftung Bildung

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What are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

The SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) intend to help ensure that ten billion people can live together peacefully, without hunger, in security and prosperity in the future. This includes the provision of climate and environmental protection, the fight against poverty and hunger in the world, and the promotion of health, justice, and education.

RAISING AWARENESS,
VISIBILITY AND SIGNIFICANCE,
FOR THE SDGs AND EVERYONE
WHO's VESTED IN
IMPLEMENTING THEM.

Why is the SDG Innovation Award given?

The SDG Innovation Award honors pioneers who exemplary part contribute to the achievement of the SDGs and makes their exemplary, effective projects and activities known to a wider audience. In addition to the recognition of the award winners, the Anchoring the goals of the SDGs throughout society in the foreground. Innovative pioneers and committed pioneersthat make an exemplary contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be honored with the SDG Innovation Award.

The focus is increasingly on projects and initiatives directed at a international impact and charisma develop and a relevant and innovative contribution to a sustainable development. The focus here is on the implementation sustainable supply chains as well as on the promoting clean energy and the technology transfer. We are looking for actors who understand the Agenda 2030 holistically. The aim here is to promote several sustainability goals simultaneously, such as environmental and climate protection.

The Senate of Economy Germany and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) are collaborating with the SDG Innovation Award to achieve the visibility and popularity of the global Sustainable Development Goals.

Companies, educational institutions, organizations, initiatives, institutions, projects, cities, districts, and municipalities can be awarded.

In which categories can an application be submitted?

The SDG Innovation Award is presented in the following Categories :

The following criteria are used for the evaluation

Contribution to the SDGs
Objective
Goal achievement
Progress
Motivation to participate
Transferability
Multiplicity
Cooperation or partnership
Area of action
Effect & Effectiveness
Measurability

How much progress has been made on the goals set in 2015? We are halfway to 2030, and there is a pressing need to enhance security and ensure basic needs, climate, and environmental protection equally. Through the SDG Innovation Award initiative, we seek to spotlight innovative ideas and practical solutions as incentives for effectively addressing and implementing these challenges together.

The SDG Innovation Award is free of: